DoE’s preliminary report blames, “Air pollution flowing from across the Indian border and dust from cement industries around Lumbini.”

The DoE has set up 12 stations of the air quality monitoring system across the country including Pulchok, Ratnapark, Kirtipur, Shankapark, Bhaisepati and Bhaktapur in the Kathmandu Valley, and Dhulikhel, Sauraha, Lumbini and Pokhara.

The 24-hr data analysis from the pollution monitoring stations shows the pollution is less during the day from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm and higher in the morning and evening. On a monthly basis, the period between Kartik (October/November) to Falgun (February/March) is comparatively highly polluted.

Speaking at an event organised by the Department Sunday, Joint-secretary at the Environment Ministry Dr Ram Prasad Lamsal said, “Although there is no dearth of data and resources concerning environment in Nepal, failure to effectively mobilize and use them has obstructed the desired outcome.”

According to information shared at the event, around 47 per cent of the vehicles with green stickers fail the vehicle pollution emission test. Emission from the rising number of vehicles tops the list of reasons behind pollution in Kathmandu. However, the number of vehicles being registered in Kathmandu is rapidly increasing.

In the fiscal year 2005-06 (VS 2062/63), the Department of Transport Management registered around 28,000 new vehicles which increased to almost 98,000 in 2015-16